Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Palawan Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Palawan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,448 in Mexico City versus $778 in Palawan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Mexico City versus $1,198 in Palawan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Mexico City versus $1,617 in Palawan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 86% more expensive than Palawan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Palawan is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.96 MX$223

$3.52 ₱212

268.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.3 MX$900

$19.48 ₱1,173

168.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$167

$3.29 ₱198

194.53%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$64.6

$2.63 ₱159

42.59%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 MX$26.91

$0.81 ₱48.82

92.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.93

$0.36 ₱21.83

222.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MX$55.8

$1.26 ₱75.7

157.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MX$84.3

$2.18 ₱131

124.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.29

$1.89 ₱114

-10.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$45.90

$1.20 ₱72.5

122.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.49

$1.02 ₱61.4

85.29%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.37

$2.00 ₱121

26.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 MX$172

$8.08 ₱487

24.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.53 MX$147

$4.15 ₱250

105.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$205

$7.91 ₱476

50.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.1

$2.87 ₱173

3.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.88

$1.51 ₱91.2

18.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.40

$2.66 ₱160

-24.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.74

$1.61 ₱97.3

21.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$2.21 ₱133

-2.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.04

$2.55 ₱154

-10.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.14

$1.08 ₱64.8

29.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.18

$0.77 ₱46.09

44.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$72.2

$2.86 ₱172

46.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 MX$285

$6.69 ₱403

147.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.94

$1.21 ₱73.1

38.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$61.8

$1.96 ₱118

83.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.65

$0.28 ₱16.96

39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$330

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.77

$0.84 ₱50.5

64.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.19

$0.22 ₱13.20

36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.7

$2.09 ₱126

157.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.13

$1.13 ₱68.1

14.16%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$18.9K MX$325.1K

$26.6K ₱1.6M

-29.09%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.8K MX$409.5K

$20.8K ₱1.3M

14.54%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$39.86 MX$686

$111 ₱6,691

-64.12%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$27.83 MX$479

$32.52 ₱1,958

-14.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.77 MX$512

$27.29 ₱1,643

9.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$894

$34.17 ₱2,058

52.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.22 MX$451

$4.45 ₱268

489.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$108

$5.78 ₱348

8.48%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$433 MX$7,443

$152 ₱9,137

185.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$181.3K

$4,295 ₱258.7K

145.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 MX$981

$46.52 ₱2,802

22.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 MX$780

$26.48 ₱1,595

71.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,753

$76.3 ₱4,594

33.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MX$1,867

$53.0 ₱3,190

104.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 MX$17.1K

$262 ₱15.8K

279.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.6K

$179 ₱10.8K

244.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 MX$35.9K

$584 ₱35.2K

257.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 MX$21.6K

$389 ₱23.4K

223.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,936 MX$67.7K

$2,314 ₱139.3K

70.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,089 MX$35.9K

$969 ₱58.4K

115.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,131 MX$19.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

6.67

70.01%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mexico City: June 14, 2026

Last update for Palawan: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $994 in Mexico City and $262 in Palawan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $19.00 in Palawan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $202 per month, with Palawan cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mexico City vs Palawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Palawan differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($1,448 vs $778 including rent). Palawan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,173 in Mexico City and $1,168 in Palawan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $994 in Mexico City versus $262 in Palawan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $433 in Mexico City versus $152 in Palawan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Palawan – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $778 in Palawan versus $1,448 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Palawan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Palawan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Palawan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Palawan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.